Storage area network system

ABSTRACT

A storage network includes a path processor for directing data onto one of two or more paths between an application host and two or more storage controllers in a storage subsystem. To determine a data path within the storage network, the operational status of a storage controller in the storage subsystem is monitored. It is determined whether a change in the operational status of the storage controller is a failure or a potential failure. This determination is sent to the path processor. The path processor redirects application host data from the path controller on the basis of the determination.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present patent application claims priority to the previously filedUnited Kingdom patent application entitled “storage area networksystem,” filed on Jul. 4, 2006, and assigned serial no. 0613239.3.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to a storage area network (SAN)system, and more particularly to the use of alternative paths from aserver to a storage subsystem in a SAN system.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The primary function of a storage subsystem is to provide storage to anapplication running on a server. In the simplest arrangement the serverhas only one means of accessing the storage, and the storage devicecontains no redundancy. This is generally not a very satisfactorysolution, as if the access method fails, or a part of the storage devicefails, the server can no longer access the stored data.

A better solution achieves higher availability by using a SAN basedstorage subsystem in which the storage device is part of a storagesubsystem that presents data from the storage device at a number ofports on the SAN. This is generally achieved by having multiplecontrollers within the subsystem and arranging that each controller canpresent the data from the storage device to the SAN.

In another improvement, the application host uses a multi-path processorto manage different paths to the same storage device. Multiple paths usemultiple ports in the server to access a single or multiple storagecontrollers. However, it is possible to have multiple paths when thereis (a) one port in the server and more than one in the storagecontroller(s) or (b) more than one port in the server and one port inthe controller.

A typical SAN system 10 includes a server 12 and a storage subsystem 13is shown in FIG. 1. The server 12 includes an application host 22 andmulti-path processor 24 accessing a storage logical unit (LUN) 18provided by the storage subsystem 13 with two controllers 14A and 14B.

The application host 22 may access the LUN 18 via a combination of paths20A, 20B, 20C and 20D. A multi-path processor 24 in the host 22 choosesto use one or more of these paths via one of two ports 26A and 26B. If apath fails, or a controller in the storage subsystem fails, then themulti-path processor can use an alternative path. When the path orcontroller is restored, the multi-path processor can consider re-usingthis restored path or controller. The multi-path processor generallypolls the missing path or controller to establish if and when it hasbecome available again. If there are many paths between the host andstorage subsystem, and there are many LUNs being presented to the host,it can take a considerable time to poll all the potentially availablepaths to see if any ‘lost’ paths have come back.

A controller reset can arise in two different circumstances: acontroller failure and an intentional controller reset. From themulti-path processor's point of view there is no reasonable way ofpredicting that an internal controller failure will occur before itactually happens. If on the other hand the controller is being resetprior to a firmware upgrade or other maintenance action, then themulti-path processor will only know a reset will occur if the resetoriginates from the server. Therefore, without up-to-date knowledge ofthe controller status the multi-path processor will not efficientlychoose the best paths for sending data to the LUN.

Conversely, there are a number of problems in restoring full redundantuse of these controllers after a controller is reset. For instance, itmay take some time for the multi-path processor to realize that a pathhas been restored to a storage controller that has recently been reset.Even when a path has been restored, the multi-path processor may not beable to use it because the controller is not yet ready to accept data(e.g., it may not have resynchronized its cache with its partner). Forthese and other reasons, there is a need for the present invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a storage area network system. A methodof one embodiment of the invention is for determining a data path in astorage network. The network has a path processor for directing dataonto one of two or more paths between an application host and two ormore storage controllers in a storage subsystem. The method monitors theoperational status of a storage controller in the storage subsystem, anddetermines whether a change in the operational status of the storagecontroller is a failure or a potential failure. This determination issent to the path processor. The path processor redirects applicationhost data from the path controller on the basis of the determination.

A storage area network system of an embodiment of the invention includesa storage subsystem having two or more storage controllers and at leastone controller monitor. The system further includes a storage areanetwork having two or more paths between an application host and the twoor more storage controllers in a storage subsystem. The system alsoincludes a path processor for directing application host data onto oneof the paths through the network to one of the storage controllers. Theat least one controller monitor monitors the two or more storagecontrollers in the storage subsystem and sends an operational statusmessage to the path processor when it determines the operational statusof a storage controller has changed. On receipt of the operationalstatus message, the path processor redirects application host datathrough the network to or from the storage controller.

A computer-readable medium of an embodiment of the invention has one ormore computer programs stored thereon to perform a method fordetermining a data path in storage network. The network has a pathprocessor for directing data onto one of two or more paths between anapplication host and two or more storage controllers in a storagesubsystem. The method monitors the operational status of a storagecontroller in the storage subsystem, and determines whether a change inthe operational status of the storage controller is a failure or apotential failure. The method sends this determination to the pathprocessor. The path processor redirects application host data from thepath controller on the basis of the determination.

A storage subsystem of an embodiment of the invention is connected via astorage area network system to a server. The subsystem includes two ormore storage controllers and a controller monitor. The monitor monitorsthe operational status of a storage controller in the storage subsystem,determines whether a change in the operational status of the storagecontroller is a failure, a potential failure, a reconnection or a loadchange, and sends the determination to the server. The server redirectsdata from or to the storage controller in the storage subsystem on thebasis that determination.

A storage area network system of another embodiment of the inventionincludes a storage subsystem having two or more storage controllers, astorage area network having two or more paths between an applicationhost and the two or more storage controllers in a storage subsystem, anda path processor for directing application host data onto one of thepaths through the network to one of the storage controllers. The systemfurther includes means for monitoring the two or more storagecontrollers in the storage subsystem and for sending an operationalstatus message to the path processor when determining the operationalstatus of a storage controller has changed. The means may be implementedas one or more controller monitors. On receipt of the operational statusmessage the path processor redirects application host data through thenetwork to or from the storage controller.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The drawings referenced herein form a part of the specification.Features shown in the drawing are meant as illustrative of only someembodiments of the invention, and not of all embodiments of theinvention, unless otherwise explicitly indicated, and implications tothe contrary are otherwise not to be made.

FIG. 1 is a schematic of a typical storage area network system,according to the prior art.

FIG. 2 is a schematic of a system, according to an embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a method, according to an embodiment of theinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments of theinvention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form apart hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specificexemplary embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. Theseembodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilledin the art to practice the invention. Other embodiments may be utilized,and logical, mechanical, and other changes may be made without departingfrom the spirit or scope of the present invention. The followingdetailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense,and the scope of the present invention is defined only by the appendedclaims.

Overview

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provideda method of determining a data path in storage network. The network hasa path processor for directing data onto one of two or more pathsbetween an application host and two or more storage controllers in astorage subsystem. The method monitors the operational status of astorage controller in the storage subsystem, and determines whether achange in the operational status of the storage controller is a failureor a potential failure. The method sends the determination to the pathprocessor, where the path processor redirects application host data fromthe path controller on the basis of that determination.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided astorage area network system including a storage subsystem having two ormore storage controllers and at least one controller monitor. The systemalso includes a storage area network including two or more paths betweenan application host and the two or more storage controllers in a storagesubsystem. The method further includes a path processor for directingapplication host data onto one of the paths through the network to oneof the storage controllers. The controller monitor monitors the two ormore storage controllers in the storage subsystem and sends anoperational status message to the path processor when it determines theoperational status of a storage controller has changed. On receipt ofthe operational status message the path processor redirects applicationhost data through the network to another path controller.

In one embodiment, the controller monitor determines whether the changein status is a failure, potential failure, or reconnection, and sendsthis determination in the operational status message. In this case themulti-path processor does not check the detail of the status of thestorage controller and simply redirects the application host data towardor away from the two respective storage controllers.

In one embodiment, the controller monitor sends an operational statusmessage whenever the operational status changes. In this case the pathprocessor determines whether the change in status is a failure orpotential failure and then acts accordingly.

Description of the Drawings

FIG. 2 shows a storage area network (SAN) system 110, according to anembodiment of the invention. The SAN 110 includes a server 112 linked bymultiple path storage area network (SAN) 116 to a storage subsystem 113.The storage subsystem 113 includes storage controllers 114A and 114B,controller monitors 115A and 115B, and storage logical unit (LUN) 118.

The SAN 110 links the storage subsystem 113 to the server 112 along oneof a plurality of paths 120A, 120B 120C and 120D in SAN 116. Any one ofthe paths can be used by the server to read or write data from thestorage subsystem 113. The SAN paths have a network of switches in whichsome switches are faster than others and therefore the time takenthrough the network on different paths will be different. Also oneswitch might be busier than others or more heavily used or more reliableor unreliable. The links might also be longer or shorter.

The server 112 includes an application host 122 and a multi-pathprocessor 124. The application host 122 includes an application 128 andan application buffer 130. The application host 122 selects any one ofthe paths when it needs to do an I/O transaction with the storagecontroller. The application 128 is a set of instructions for achieving abusiness purpose such as a transaction retrieval database. One or moreof these instructions will be a read or write instruction executed bythe application host. The application buffer 130 stores data that isreceived from or is to be transmitted to the storage subsystem 113. Theapplication host 122 executes the application 128 and uses theapplication buffer 130 in response to a read or write operation.

The multi-path processor 124 includes a port controller 125, deviceports 126A and 126B, and status message processor 127. Each device port126A and 126B can make an I/O request to the storage controllers overpath 120A, 120B, 120C and 120D. The status message processor 127receives status messages from the storage subsystem indicating a statuscondition of: failure, potential failure, reconnection, or overload. Inone embodiment, these messages are passed to the port processor 125 tomake the choice of which port and path to use depending on the statustype. In another embodiment, the status message processor receives rawstatus data from the storage controllers, and the status messageprocessor determines the status condition (failure, potential failure,connection or overload) and transmits this status message to the portcontroller 125.

The port controller 125 receives read data instructions from theapplication host 122 as instructed by the application 128 as well as astatus message containing the status condition. Using the instructionsand status condition the port controller selects a primary path and astorage controller, links the primary path to the buffer 130 andrequests data from storage controller using the primary data path. If areceived status condition is fail for a particular storage controllerthen the port controller will not select this storage controller againuntil a ‘reconnected’ status condition is received. Also any datatransfer tasks that can be redirected are redirected.

If a received status condition is a potential fail for a particularstorage controller then the port controller will not select this storagecontroller for high reliability transfers. However, it will still usethe storage controller for normal transfers until a ‘reconnected’ statuscondition is received. If a received status condition is overload for aparticular storage controller then the port controller will redirectdata transfers using this storage controller. A more generic statuscondition is ‘load’ with a parameter to indicate the loading percentage;this ‘load’ condition will allow the port controller to perform loadbalancing.

The storage subsystem 113 components—storage controllers 114A and 114B,controller monitors 115A and 115B, and storage logic unit (LUN) 118—arenow described. The storage logical unit 118 is a single physical devicefor storage typically a hard drive. The LUN 118 could be a collection ofphysical drives acting as a single logical unit, such as a RAID array.The storage controllers 114A and 114B have direct access to the storageLUN 118.

The storage controllers 114A and 114B can receive multiple read requestsarriving via different paths 120A, 120B, 120C and 120D. A first readrequest will cause the appropriate data to be loaded into the cache (notshown) in the storage controller 114A and subsequent reads are thensatisfied from this cache and will not have significant impact onperformance. The storage controllers collect and store raw data abouttheir operating condition and store it in a status register 117A and117B. This raw data includes: failure status of internal redundantcomponents; the number of internal retry operations that have beenrequired; the nature of internal retry operation that has beenperformed; the number of any internal resets that have been performed;the age of the unit and the amount of time it has been powered on; resetstatus; throughput; temperature; and storage firmware level.

FIG. 3 shows a method 300, according to an embodiment of the invention.The controller monitors 115A and 115B perform the method 300 in oneembodiment. The controller monitor monitors (part 302) the operationalstatus of a storage controller in the storage subsystem, it does this bydirectly reading the status register 117A or 117B in the storagecontrollers. Using the status information it determines (part 304) thecondition of the storage controller and specifically whether the statuscondition falls into one of the following types: a failure, a potentialfailure, a reconnection, or an overload. Overload is determined bycomparing the current load with standard optimal load levels orcomparing the current load on this controller with current loads onother controllers. The controller monitor would then need to ‘see’ bothcontrollers to make this determination. Once this determination is madeit is sent to the multi-path processor for use in redirecting data fromor to the path controller.

In another embodiment, two storage controllers are paired together withtheir respective controller monitors so that each controller monitormonitors its own storage controller and the paired storage controller.If a controller monitor cannot monitor and send out a failed statuscondition then its paired controller monitor does so. Partner storagecontrollers can do this by using, for example, a heartbeat messagebetween the controllers with a relatively short timeout, such asone-to-five seconds. Thus a remaining partner controller can tell theusing hosts systems that its partner has been reset within a few secondsof that event occurring. In another embodiment, a single controllermonitor monitors two or more storage controllers. This provides thebenefits of the invention but is not as reliable as having a pair ofcontroller monitors.

The status message can be communicated using the SCSI SPC-3 messagingfor Asymmetric Logical Unit Access. This provides for identification ofActive/Optimized, and Active/Non-Optimized paths. It also provides forthe identification of paths to be changed, such as to allowActive/Optimized to become Active/Non-Optimized and vice-versa. Thisidentification can be used to indicate to host multi-pathing driversthat the paths a host should use have been changed. The standard alsoprovides for asynchronous notification that a path has changed via theSCSI Unit Attention mechanism, which can operate like the messagingdescribed in the disclosure. But it should be noted that in someOperating System environments this information is not communicated tothe multi-pathing driver. In these environments the information can becommunicated using a polling technique.

In another embodiment, the multi-path processor provides feedback toindicate recognition of the change in preferred path, and that it isready and able to use the new path. This enhancement can be used withoutfurther change in host drivers where the host drivers recognize andrespond to the SCSI standard SPC-3 information. For each using hostsystem, the redundant controller tracks each controller port that hasreceived I/O from said host system over a recent short period of time A,such as five seconds. The redundant controller considers a host to haveacknowledged the change in path once the host has not sent any I/O to anon-preferred port in the last period A of time. A host will either:start sending I/O to the new preferred paths, and will no longer besending I/O to the non-preferred paths, and the time period A willexpire; stop sending I/O altogether (perhaps because applicationactivity has quiesced), and the time period A will expire; continue tosend I/O to the non-preferred paths, disregarding the new designationfor the paths, and the time period A will not expire. The controller hasto continue to wait for up to a longer period of time B, such as oneminute, until there are no hosts with an unexpired time period A—inother words, until all hosts can be considered to have acknowledged thepreferred path. If after time period B, a host persists in continuing tosend I/O, two options arise, as described below.

First, a situation may be indicated where the host is unable to satisfythe requested path change perhaps because of a fault in the systemconnectivity, and for certain planned outages, such as concurrent codeload, the planned outage might be aborted to give opportunity to allowthe fault to be repaired, and hence avoid the loss of connectivity.Alternatively, the system requirements might be such that the plannedoutage must continue after period B has expired. This provides analternative to the message from host to controller that the paths areabout to changed. An explicit message offers a useful alternativeimplementation, and such a message might be embodied for instance inSCSI messaging by using an explicit ‘dummy’ Set Target Port Statecommand.

The above-described embodiment may also be improved. For instance,before beginning a coordinated switch of all hosts, it is useful toensure that all hosts are able to send I/O to the intended new preferredpaths. This need arises in particular during concurrent code load wheremultiple switches of preferred path are needed. By waiting until allhosts are ready to begin the switch, it is possible to minimize periodsof time where I/O is being sent to the non-preferred path, and henceminimize the performance impact. What is needed is a means to identifywhen a host has recognized a newly available path, as for example, isestablished following a controller reset operation during a concurrentcode load process. This can be achieved by monitoring when hosts havereceived and processed the unit attention conditions that are set onthose new paths. The optimum point in time for beginning a new change inpreferred path sequence, starting by designating different paths asActive/Optimized and Active/Non-Optimized, can be established by waitinguntil all host ports that have sent SCSI Tasks in the last period C,such as two minutes, to have no Unit Attentions associated with theestablishment of new paths outstanding on any controller Target port.

A first example of one embodiment of the invention is now described. Ifthe controller is about to perform a planned reset it should send amessage to the host system indicating that this controller is about toreset and that transfers to or from this controller should be failedover to the other controller in a controlled manner. Transfers that arein progress to the controller that is to be reset are completed asnormal. In a particular embodiment, when the host system has ceasedusing paths to the controller that is about to be reset, the host couldalso send a confirmatory message to the controller.

In another embodiment, the message sent by the controller to the hostsystems can contain a timeout value. This timeout is desirably startedby each host, and if the host does not see that the controller was infact reset within this timeout, then the host should probe all thecontrollers to determine if they are available. This timeout mechanismcan deal with the situation where a controller thinks it is about to bereset but the controller reset is not actually executed for some reason.In another embodiment, during this timeout period the controller and itspartner controller can flush their write caches so that any new writesreceived by either controller are not cached but are dealt with aswrite-through operations. This preemptive flush of the write cache isperformed by both controllers in parallel, which is a performancebenefit over the situation where a controller is allowed to reset andthen the other controller subsequently flushes its cache (since in thiscase only one controller is doing the flush). This preemptive flush alsopreserves the write cache redundancy, so in the event of a loss of asingle controller during the flush, there is no loss of data. This is animprovement in data protection over the original scheme where the firstcontroller is allowed to reset and the remaining controller flushes itswrite cache, as data will be lost if the second controller fails duringthis period.

When the controller receives the confirmatory message mentioned in thefirst example above from all the hosts that are currently using thecontroller, and when the controller and its partner have completedflushing their caches, the controller reset can be executed. If for somereason, the reset is cancelled prior to it being executed, thecontroller sends a message to all the using host systems indicating thatthe reset is cancelled and this message tells the using hosts systems toresume using paths to this controller. If the reset is executed and hasbeen completed, the controller sends a message to the using host systemsto indicate that is now ready to resume transfer. This causes the usinghost systems to cancel their timeouts and to reopen and use paths tothis controller. Both controllers resume using their fast write caches.

In a second example of one embodiment, if the controller performs anunplanned reset, the controller monitor or the partner controllermonitor sends a status message to the multi-path processor indicatingthat a storage controller has been reset. This message causes the usinghost systems to abort a transfer that is outstanding on paths to thecontroller that has been reset and to reissue that transfer to theremaining controller.

In an alternative embodiment, while the controller reset is in progressand possibly afterwards, its partner controller must flush its writecache; any new writes received by this controller will not be cached butwill be dealt with as write-through operations. This assumes acontroller that has a volatile write cache; it would not be necessary toflush the write cache if it was non-volatile. When the controller thatwas reset comes back, the pair of controllers have to resynchronizetheir write caches. This can be achieved by either letting thecontroller that was not reset completely flush its cache or by copyingthe partially flushed contents of that cache to the cache in thecontroller that was reset. In any case, when the controller that wasreset comes back, it can send a message to the using hosts indicatingthat is now present and the using hosts immediately resume sending I/Ovia paths to that controller.

In a third example of one embodiment, a pair of dual active controllermonitors can determine that they are not using their resourceseffectively. One controller monitor can give advice via a status messageto the status message processor to rebalance the transfer load from thehosts. If controller 114A has a shortage of resources a message is sentto the status message processor to direct more transfers to the otherstorage controller 114B.

In a fourth example of one embodiment, if a logical unit is mapped to ahost and the host has already configured devices for this logical unit,and the logical unit is then deleted, when the host configurationmethods are run again, they may take a very long time to complete. Thisis because the host is waiting for each command to timeout to thenow-deleted logical unit. If the storage controller sent a message tothe host at the time that the logical unit is deleted the host couldthen make a note that the device no longer exists and would not have totime out each command when the configuration methods are run. Instead itcould just mark the device as offline or whatever is appropriate in thatparticular host OS for a non existent device.

It will be clear to one skilled in the art that the method of thepresent invention may suitably be embodied in a logic apparatus havinglogic means to perform the steps of the method, and that such logicmeans may include hardware components or firmware components. It willalso be appreciated that the method described above may also suitably becarried out fully or partially in software running on one or moreprocessors (not shown), and that the software may be provided as acomputer program element carried on any suitable data carrier (also notshown) such as a magnetic or optical computer disc. For example, such acomputer program or programs may be stored on a computer-readablemedium, such as a tangible computer-readable medium like a recordabledata storage medium. The channels for the transmission of data likewisemay include storage media of all descriptions as well as signal carryingmedia, such as wired or wireless signal media. The terminology“computer-readable medium” as used herein is inclusive of such signalcarrying media, as well as storage media.

It will be equally clear to one skilled in the art that the logicarrangement of the present invention may suitably be embodied in a logicapparatus having logic means to perform the steps of the method, andthat such logic means may include components such as logic gates in, forexample, a programmable logic array. Such a logic arrangement mayfurther be embodied in enabling means for temporarily or permanentlyestablishing logical structures in such an array using, for example, avirtual hardware descriptor language, which may be stored using fixed ortransmittable carrier media.

The present invention may suitably be embodied as a computer programproduct for use with a computer system. Such an implementation mayinclude a series of computer readable instructions either fixed on atangible medium, such as a computer readable medium, for example,diskette, CD-ROM, ROM, or hard disk, or transmittable to a computersystem, via a modem or other interface device, over either a tangiblemedium, including but not limited to optical or analogue communicationslines, or intangibly using wireless techniques, including but notlimited to microwave, infrared or other transmission techniques. Theseries of computer readable instructions embodies all or part of thefunctionality previously described herein.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that such computer readableinstructions can be written in a number of programming languages for usewith many computer architectures or operating systems. Further, suchinstructions may be stored using any memory technology, present orfuture, including but not limited to, semiconductor, magnetic, oroptical, or transmitted using any communications technology, present orfuture, including but not limited to optical, infrared, or microwave. Itis contemplated that such a computer program product may be distributedas a removable medium with accompanying printed or electronicdocumentation, for example, shrink-wrapped software, pre-loaded with acomputer system, for example, on a system ROM or fixed disk, ordistributed from a server or electronic bulletin board over a network,for example, the Internet or World Wide Web.

It will be further appreciated that embodiments of the present inventionmay be provided in the form of a service deployed on behalf of acustomer to offer service on demand. It is thus noted that, althoughspecific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, it willbe appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that anyarrangement calculated to achieve the same purpose may be substitutedfor the specific embodiments shown. This application is thus intended tocover any adaptations or variations of embodiments of the presentinvention. Therefore, it is manifestly intended that this invention belimited only by the claims and equivalents thereof.

1. A method for determining a data path in a storage network, thenetwork having a path processor for directing data onto one of two ormore paths between an application host and two or more storagecontrollers in a storage subsystem, the method comprising: monitoringthe operational status of a storage controller in the storage subsystem,by a first controller monitor; determining whether a change in theoperational status of the storage controller is a failure or a potentialfailure; and, sending the determination to the path processor, whereinthe path processor redirects application host data from a pathcontroller on the basis of the determination, wherein the storagecontroller is a first storage controller of the two or more storagecontrollers, and the two or more storage controllers further comprise asecond storage controller, wherein the method further comprises:monitoring the operational status of the first storage controller by thesecond controller monitor directly reading the first storage controller;monitoring the operational status of the second storage controller bythe first controller monitor directly reading the second storagecontroller; monitoring the operational status of the second storagecontroller by the second controller monitor directly reading the secondstorage controller, wherein if the first controller monitor does notsend an operational status message regarding the first storagecontroller, then the second controller monitor sends the operationalstatus message regarding the first storage controller.
 2. The method ofclaim 1, wherein determining whether the change in the operationalstatus of the storage controller is a failure or a potential failurefurther determines whether a change in the operational status of thestorage controller is a reconnection.
 3. The method of claim 1, whereindetermining whether the change in the operational status of the storagecontroller is a failure or a potential failure further determineswhether a change in the operational status of the storage controller isan overloading of the storage controller.
 4. The method of claim 1,wherein monitoring the operational status of the storage controllermonitors the operational status of two storage controllers in thestorage subsystem.
 5. The method of claim 1, further comprisingmaintaining operational status information, wherein monitoring theoperational status of the storage controller monitors the operationalstatus information for changes.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein theoperational status indicates an immediate failure of a storagecontroller and after receipt of the operational status message the pathprocessor immediately redirects application host data onto another pathcontroller unaffected by the failed storage controller.
 7. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the operational status indicates a potential failure ofa storage controller and after receipt of the operational status messagethe path controller prepares to redirect application host data ontoanother path controller unaffected by the failed storage controller. 8.The method of claim 1, wherein the operational status indicates areconnection of a storage controller and after receipt of theoperational status message the path controller redirects applicationhost data back to the reconnected path controller.
 9. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the operational status indicates an overload status ofa storage controller and after receipt of the operational status messagethe path controller redirects some of the application host data ontoanother path controller unaffected by overload.
 10. A storage areanetwork system comprising: a storage subsystem comprising a plurality ofstorage controllers and at least one controller monitor; a storage areanetwork comprising a plurality of paths between an application host andthe plurality of storage controllers in the storage subsystem; and, apath processor for directing application host data onto one of the pathsthrough the network to one of the storage controllers, wherein the atleast one controller monitor monitors the plurality of storagecontrollers in the storage subsystem and sends an operational statusmessage to the path processor when it determines the operational statusof a storage controller has changed, wherein on receipt of theoperational status message the path processor redirects application hostdata through the network to or from the storage controller, wherein eachstorage controller has a corresponding controller monitor for monitoringoperational information of the storage controller, and wherein eachcontroller monitor monitors the operational information of acorresponding storage controller by directly reading the correspondingstorage controller and also monitors the operational information of apartner storage controller of the corresponding storage controller bydirectly reading the partner storage controller, such that if onecontroller monitor does not send an operational status message for thecorresponding storage controller of the one controller monitor, then thepartner controller monitor of the one controller monitor does.
 11. Thesystem of claim 10, wherein the controller monitor determines whetherthe change in status is a failure, potential failure, or reconnectionand sends this determination in the operational status message.
 12. Thesystem of claim 10, wherein the controller monitor sends an operationalstatus message whenever the operational status changes.
 13. The systemof claim 10, wherein each storage controller maintains operationalstatus information and the at least one controller monitor monitors theoperational status information for changes.
 14. The system of claim 10,wherein the operational status indicates an immediate failure of astorage controller and after receipt of the operational status messagethe path controller immediately redirects application host data ontoanother path controller unaffected by the failed storage controller. 15.The system of claim 10, wherein the operational status indicates animminent failure of a storage controller and after receipt of theoperational status message the path controller prepares to redirectapplication host data onto another path controller unaffected by thefailed storage controller.
 16. The system of claim 10, wherein theoperational status indicates a reconnection of a storage controller andafter receipt of the operational status message the path controllerredirects application host data back to the reconnected path controller.17. The system of claim 10, wherein the operational status indicates anoverload status of a storage controller and after receipt of theoperational status message the path controller redirects some of theapplication host data onto another path controller unaffected byoverload.
 18. A computer-readable medium having one or more computerprograms stored thereon to perform a method for determining a data pathin storage network, the network having a path processor for directingdata onto one of two or more paths between an application host and twoor more storage controllers in a storage subsystem, the methodcomprising: monitoring the operational status of a storage controller inthe storage subsystem; determining whether a change in the operationalstatus of the storage controller is a failure or a potential failure;and, sending the determination to the path processor, wherein the pathprocessor redirects application host data from a path controller on thebasis of the determination, wherein the storage controller is a firststorage controller of the two or more storage controllers and the two ormore storage controllers further comprise a second storage controller,wherein the method further comprises: monitoring the operational statusof the first storage controller by the second controller monitordirectly reading the first storage controller; monitoring theoperational status of the second storage controller by the firstcontroller monitor directly reading the second storage controller;monitoring the operational status of the second storage controller b thesecond controller monitor directly reading the second storagecontroller, wherein if the first controller monitor does not send anoperational status message regarding the first storage controller, thenthe second controller monitor sends the operational status messageregarding the first storage controller.
 19. The medium of claim 18,wherein determining whether the change in the operational status of thestorage controller is a failure or a potential failure furtherdetermines whether a change in the operational status of the storagecontroller is a reconnection.
 20. The medium of claim 18, whereindetermining whether the change in the operational status of the storagecontroller is a failure or a potential failure further determineswhether a change in the operational status of the storage controller isan overloading of the storage controller.
 21. The medium of claim 18,wherein monitoring the operational status of the storage controllermonitors the operational status of two storage controllers in thestorage subsystem.
 22. The medium of claim 18, the method furthercomprising maintaining operational status information, whereinmonitoring the operational status of the storage controller monitors theoperational status information for changes.
 23. The medium of claim 18,wherein the operational status indicates an immediate failure of astorage controller and after receipt of the operational status messagethe path processor immediately redirects application host data ontoanother path controller unaffected by the failed storage controller. 24.The medium of claim 18, wherein the operational status indicates apotential failure of a storage controller and after receipt of theoperational status message the path controller prepares to redirectapplication host data onto another path controller unaffected by thefailed storage controller.
 25. The medium of claim 18, wherein theoperational status indicates a reconnection of a storage controller andafter receipt of the operational status message the path controllerredirects application host data back to the reconnected path controller.26. The medium of claim 18, wherein the operational status indicates anoverload status of a storage controller and after receipt of theoperational status message the path controller redirects some of theapplication host data onto another path controller unaffected byoverload.
 27. A storage area network system comprising: a storagesubsystem comprising two or more storage controllers; a storage areanetwork comprising two or more paths between an application host and thetwo or more storage controllers in a storage subsystem; a path processorfor directing application host data onto one of the paths through thenetwork to one of the storage controllers; and, means for monitoring thetwo or more storage controllers in the storage subsystem and for sendingan operational status message to the path processor when determining theoperational status of a storage controller has changed, wherein onreceipt of the operational status message the path processor redirectsapplication host data through the network to or from the storagecontroller, wherein the means comprises a plurality of controllermonitors, wherein each controller monitor monitors the operationalinformation of a corresponding storage controller by directly readingthe corresponding storage controller and also monitors the operationalinformation of a partner storage controller of the corresponding storagecontroller by directly reading the partner storage controller, such thatif one controller monitor does not send an operational status messagefor the corresponding storage controller of the one controller monitor,then the partner controller monitor of the one controller monitor does.28. The system of claim 27, wherein the operational status indicates oneof: an immediate failure of a storage controller and after receipt ofthe operational status message the path controller immediately redirectsapplication host data onto another path controller unaffected by thefailed storage controller; and, an imminent failure of a storagecontroller and after receipt of the operational status message the pathcontroller prepares to redirect application host data onto another pathcontroller unaffected by the failed storage controller.
 29. The systemof claim 27, wherein the operational status indicates a reconnection ofa storage controller and after receipt of the operational status messagethe path controller redirects application host data back to thereconnected path controller.
 30. The system of claim 27, wherein theoperational status indicates an overload status of a storage controllerand after receipt of the operational status message the path controllerredirects some of the application host data onto another path controllerunaffected by overload.